Explained: What is the Russian missile Sarmat known as Satan capable of

New Delhi, Apr 21: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. Colloquially known as Satan, the missile is the most powerful in the world and can penetrate any missile defence.

The development is very significant amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine. Putin also said that this missile would make the enemies think twice. Here is what you should know about the missile.

• The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile was test fired from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, which is around 800 kilometres north of Moscow.
• The missile hit the targets in the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east of Russia in the first test launch.
• The missile weighs over 200 tonnes and can transport multiple warheads. Russia says it can transport more than 10 warheads.
• Sarmat is a three staged liquid fuelled missile and has a range of 18,000 kilometres and a launch weight of 208.1 metric tons. The missile is 35.2 metres in diameter
• The missile apart from 10 warheads can carry 16 smaller ones, a combination of warheads and countermeasures.
• Russia's nuclear forces will start taking delivery of the new missile in the autumn this year
• The Pentagon called it a routine exercise and said that Moscow had intimated the US before the test launch.